Follow the painted bobcat and mountain lion paw prints prancing on the sidewalk to the new Library of the Canyons. Inside, watch out for the skunk, coyote and raccoon paw prints crawling up the walls to cave style paintings by local artist, Robert Myers. Throughout the children’s section, kids discover interactive displays, puzzles, puppet theatre and crafts. My son and his friends especially enjoy the library’s educational programs. The only place my son wants to be on Monday’s at 4 p.m. is at the library’s Crazy Eight’s math class. His favorite lesson dealt with sound waves. He made a pan flute from straws and noticed the changes in pitch from the different lengths of straw. Then he and his classmates headed outside to test the decibels of the flutes with an app on the children’s librarian, Shanon Delaney’s...

Sponsored As I sank into my theatre chair at Fox Studio and watched the film Goodbye Christopher Robin, I was touched by the many raw, ‘heart awakening’ moments. Every moment in the film had such depth and mile wide discovery. “Goodbye Christopher Robin gives a rare glimpse into the relationship between beloved children’s author A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin who’s stuffed animals/toys inspire the magical world of Winnie the Pooh. Along with his mother, Daphne (Margot Robbie) and his nanny Olive (Kelly Mac Donald), Christopher Robin and his family are swept up in the international success of the books; the enchanting tales were bringing hope and comfort to England after the First World War. But, with the eyes of the world on Christopher Robin, what will the cost be to the family?” Simon Curtis and playwrights Frank...

We attended as a guest of the venue Sail Ho!….there is a ship yonder, a SHIP, I tell you…shiver me timbers….it looks to be…..what…it CAN’T be….the Black Pearl?! “This is either madness or brilliance, and it’s remarkable how often these two traits coincide,” craftily said by Jack Sparrow. YES, it is the one and only Black Pearl! To our amazement, Disney has done it again. They’ve managed to bring the unthinkable to our entertainment fingertips. Announcing the exciting release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on DVD and Blu-ray on October 3rd. Disney sprinkled this release with magic by bringing the Black Pearl to Santa Monica Beach last week. Much to our astonishment, the creators of Disney had secretly overnighted, this massive cargo load of a ship to this beach destination and dropped it off...

Astronomer Carl Sagan believed “every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist.” Think about it, children exhibit insatiable curiosity! Everything babies touch ends up in their mouths and they love to study cause and effect in their environments. Toddlers stop to investigate bugs on the ground and often imitate their parent’s every move. Elementary aged children have a strong need to know “why” and “how.” In recent years, educators have pushed the STEAM initiative. STEAM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The goal of this initiative is to help students develop critical thinking skills through the use of project based learning. The rationale behind this learning philosophy is that the ability to solve novel problems will prepare children for the future. Examples of STEAM activities involve asking “why” questions, engaging kids in counting and...

Kids are enjoying some time away from the classroom this summer while playing outside or enjoying quality time with family and friends. Many students will work with a one-on-one tutor over the summer in order to catch up on difficult and complicated subjects or get ahead of the game by completing test prep or college applications before the school year starts up again. Sometimes students already know their tutor because they’ve worked with them during the year and, as a result, their supplemental educator already knows what’s going on in the student’s academic life. In other circumstances the tutor will be a brand-new element to the child’s education. Regardless, there are definitely a few things every parent should tell their kid’s Orange County tutor this summer. Learning differences One of the most helpful things a parent can discuss...

Summer is here and students are out of school; they‘re excited to take a break from academics and enjoy exploring some fun extracurricular activities. However, many students need to attend a summer school program of some kind. Summer school used to be something students needed to do to catch up but, these days, many students attend summer school programs to get ahead or even help them apply to college. Most students will resist summer school to some extent but there are definitely some great ways to cope with the idea of spending more time indoors. Mix it up Many summer school programs offer students the chance to work on academics in the morning and sports or creative activities in the afternoon. This is a great way for students to work on math or English while still having the...

Summer is a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends, enjoy the beautiful weather outdoors, catch up on studies with the help of an Orange County academic tutor, and indulge in some extracurricular activities that students don’t have time to participate in during the school year. There are also some wonderful educational activities available where kids can learn and have fun at the same time. Most of these are family friendly, something everybody can participate in and even learn something new. Whether kids are into science, art, or are more of the outdoor type, there’s something for everyone in Southern California. The Aquarium The aquarium offers an excellent opportunity to learn about local marine life in the comfort of an air-conditioned environment on a very hot summer day. Whether at the Long Beach aquarium or the...

Many parents understand their child’s education does not end at 3 PM Monday through Friday. Education outside the classroom is just as important as the math, English, science and history our children learn inside the classroom. The question now is, “What other type of education is there that is important and crucial to my child’s social, emotional and intellectual development?” Learning to relate to other people is a very important thing to learn from a young age. Parents try very hard to teach that to their children, but it may not be enough. Schools teach that, but it’s always on the back burner to math, English and other traditional subjects. There needs to be another system that focuses entirely on effectively communicating and relating to your peers. LEARN TO LOVE YOU Now that’s an important thing to learn....

We attended as a guest of the venue. One thing I absolutely love doing is taking time away and dipping in the arts. This venue was no ordinary dip…it an artistic plunge! Segerstrom Center for the Arts presented Israel’s acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company in the Segerstrom Hall for a special one-night-only engagement. This ballet company brought in a whole new revolutionized dance. After sinking back in my red velvet-plush theatre chair at the Segerstrom Hall, I couldn’t help but be excited! The Batsheva Dancers awed the crowds from beginning to end. It was poetry in motion watching the performers drift, almost effortlessly, across the stage. For five decades, the Batsheva Dance Company has been considered one of the foremost contemporary dance companies in the world. I’ve had the privilege of attending many ballets in my lifetime (the Royal Opera...

Let me start by telling you about my relationship with my sister. We did not grow up together like most sisters. We share the same dad and he was not a big part of either of our lives growing up. However, we did get to spend some time together as children. I remember my sister always wanting to take me everywhere with her and I LOVED it. I was so excited to hang out with the big kids (we had a 7 year age difference) and get to be “cool”. My mom would tell me all the time how Cindy loved to take care of me when I was a baby and just loved her baby sister. As we both got older, we lost contact. My mom and dad were no longer together and my sister moved out...

We visited as a guest of Sony Sony Pictures invited us to help celebrate and kick off the new Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania film! Our family was excited when we received the invitation to attend the screening of Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We welcomed the opportunity to spend the day with the Director of the film, Henry Yu, and witnessed firsthand some of his many illustrations from his storyboards in the Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania movie. Henry Yu invited us to a special backstage Aquarium room where he illustrated life-size drawings of the children’s favorite characters in the Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania movie. The kids received a once in a lifetime experience drawing with the renowned artist/Director. Henry described how it takes collaborated TEAMWORK to get the illustrations completed as...

The holidays are already over, and it seems like time flies; kids are about halfway through their school year and are, hopefully, rested from the holiday break. Now is a great time to reevaluate academics and think about what will make the rest of the school year a success. Perhaps a student needs a little push to get organized, or maybe they need to tackle that one tough subject. There are tons of things parents can do to help their kid have a great experience between now and June. Personal organization skills Personal organization can be hard at any age. In fact, it can be a full-time job in and of itself. Most kids, even really responsible and motivated kids, need a little bit of help with their organization. The start of a new year is an ideal...

The holidays provide an excellent opportunity for kids to be able to participate in educational activities outside the classroom. Most schools provide more than a week off for kids in elementary and middle school, which leaves a lot of time to fill between holiday family activities. There are tons of things parents have wanted to do with her kids but they simply didn’t have time to experience during the first semester of the school year. Now that kids are at home for winter break, there are some excellent holiday educational activities in and around Orange County. Aquariums There are several beautiful aquariums within close driving distance of cities in Orange County. They provide a great field trip for people of all ages and can be pretty educational as well. Whether a kid is in first grade or fifth,...

Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins on December 24th through January 1st. There are a lot of fun family Hanukkah events happening this year in Orange County. Chag Sameach! Hooray for Chanukah Pretend City 29 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618 December 24th – December 30th 11am to 3pm Spin the dreidel and light the Menorah! We’re celebrating Chanukah at Pretend City! Let your little ones learn about this holiday through fun activities, traditions, games, and art! We will have a full day of fun singing songs and getting in the holiday spirit! Saturday, December 24 (A.M. Activity): Dreidel, Dreidel Monday, December 26(P.M. Activity): Menorah Lighting (OPEN FULL DAY FOR Chanukah Event) Tuesday, December 27 (P.M. Activity): Star of David Wednesday, December 28 (Art Studio): Chanukah Art Thursday, December 29 (P.M. Activity): Tzedakah Box Friday, December 30 (A.M. Activity): Chanukah Story Time Menorah...

The holidays are here, and for parents of children with diabetes, this typically joyous time can quickly become scary. While the upcoming food-filled holidays take a bit of extra preparation and conscientiousness, it does not mean that you and the family will miss out on the holiday cheer. With Halloween behind us, we have a few more dessert-filled holidays on the horizon and there is no reason kids can’t indulge in a piece of pumpkin pie or a Christmas treat. But it’s important to plan ahead; adjust your child’s carbohydrate intake to allot for the added sugar at dinner. By portioning your child’s carbohydrate intake throughout the day, you can calculate exactly how many sweets your child can have to maintain a safe daily blood glucose level. Another option is to talk to your doctor or diabetes educator...

We all know how important sunscreen is for protecting our families, especially in sunny Southern California. But with the overwhelming number of brands and SPFs on the market, making a decision on what to purchase can be complicated. Sunscreen labels are packed with information, but not all of it is crystal clear to the average consumer. What does SPF stand for? What are “mineral” vs. “chemical” sunscreens? What are UVA and UVB rays? There are significant differences between formulas and the way they protect your family from those harmful rays. The sun is incredible, however, it is important to be aware of the damage it can do to our bodies, and what kind of products are best for preventing burns. I don’t want to discourage anyone from spending time outdoors, but I do want to emphasize how harmful...

Discovery Cube OC wants to hear your stories and recognize the science teachers who open up the wonders of the world – and beyond – to students! Do you remember the science teacher who built a bubbling volcano using nothing more than baking soda and vinegar? Or maybe the teacher who convinced you to dissect a frog and inspired you to explore new subjects and careers? Perhaps you have a colleague who is amazing at being a science educator. Well now it’s time to share your favorite memories of your favorite science teacher! So How Do I Enter? * Snap an amazing photo showing your favorite science teacher in action (be creative!) * Post that photo to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with a description of how he or she inspired you or your kids. * Use #MyScienceTeacher in...

Some students love to ask questions in class while others prefer to keep quiet. Although it can be intimidating for kids to raise their hands and ask the teacher pertinent questions, they can learn so much valuable information by speaking up from time to time. Whether a student is curious about the specifics of a topic or needs clarification on homework it’s highly beneficial for them to learn how to ask their teacher certain types of questions. Assignment clarification Many young students go home to get started on an important assignment only to find out that they didn’t quite understand the scope of work. This can be very frustrating because they don’t know how to get started or, perhaps they do a great job on their homework but end up handing in something different than what the teacher...

My journey as a Girl Scout began as a first grade Daisy. I loved my troop and the friendships I made with my Girl Scout sisters. I’ve continued as Girl Scout into high school because this inspiring organization has shown me the power I have to lead and make a positive difference in the world by helping others. Challenging myself with difficult tasks has been the most rewarding part of my Girl Scout experience. I take things step by step and learn along the way. Even when I fail, Girl Scouts encourages me try again, get better, and achieve my goal. Taking chances and experiencing failure through opportunities with Girl Scouts help girls become stronger challenge-seekers. Linking Leadership to Academic Success: The Girl Scout Difference, Girl Scout Research Institute I’ve developed the confidence to try so many things that I...

Sponsored The Boys & Girls Club provides transportation – you don’t have to drive your kids there after school! Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley has a fleet of 18 yellow school buses that bring kids to its three school age youth centers from 43 schools in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Westminster, and Garden Grove. And, the Club is open until 6pm, so if you’re a working parent, you can stay at work in the afternoon with no worries about how your kids are going to get to their after school program. The Boys & Girls Club helps your kids do better in school. In 2015, Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley was named the #1 Boys & Girls Club in the nation for Education & Career Development programming from more than 4000 clubs nationwide! Each of...